A student of music, exploring the space between jazz, neo-soul, and contemporary production.

Lorenzo Soto Booker

I'm a pianist, composer, arranger, and producer currently studying Multimedia Arts Technology and Jazz Piano at Western Michigan University, where I'm a junior.

With over a decade of experience playing piano and hundreds of original compositions behind me, I've become a student of performance, songwriting, arranging, and music production techniques. My musical foundation was built through piano lessons and grew throughout years of independent exploration at the piano. I've taught myself to compose, arrange, and produce using digital audio workstations, relying on my ability to allow improvisation to take the wheel. I'm heavily influenced by jazz and neo-soul, and am eager to bring those influences together with contemporary pop to create music that truly resonates with listeners.

My performance experience includes two years with Gold Company at Western and two years with Ann Arbor Skyline High School's premiere a cappella group, Skyline Blues, alongside playing piano in WMU's GC2 and Lab Band. Through Skyline Blues, I arranged Andy Mineo's "Priorities," an arrangement that received two Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs).

When I create music, I don't let anything limit me. Sometimes the lyrics will come first, other times a riff, and frequently even a chord progression. But either way I make sure to let the next idea flow naturally, with very little particularness or perfectionism, at least in the beginning of the process. This keeps me open to unexpected directions and helps me preserve the spontaneity that makes creating music exciting.

Looking ahead, I'm interested in composing for film, creating music for commercials, producing for other artists, and eventually releasing my own studio albums. I'm drawn to opportunities that let me combine musical storytelling, technical production, and collaboration.

Piano

I've played piano for more than 11 years, and my favorite pianist is Red Garland. My playing style is heavily influenced by jazz and neo-soul, but I'm open to growing in many genres!

Composition

Composing is one of my favorite things in the whole world! A lot of my influence comes from a mixture of video game music, film scores and jazz. I compose for independent projects and podcasts, write theme songs, and much more.

Arranging

I have experience arranging for a cappella, with a CARA award for my first and only submitted arrangement, and I plan to keep arranging more and more to improve! I want to write for jazz big band, and I have vocal jazz arrangements in the works.

Production

I've been working in DAWs for more than 8 years and don't intend to stop. I work in Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton and FL Studio to maximize collaboration and experience. I'm working hard every day to become a better engineer and producer.